Cleber Rabelo and Amanda Gurgel, militants of PSTU, are elected city councilors in Belem and in Natal

Besides Natal and Belém, PSTU also had significant votes in other states in the latest elections.

In this Oct. 7, workers, social movements and the struggle for socialism won two important supporting points in the Parliament. Amanda Gurgel, in Natal and Cleber Rabelo in Belém, were elected councilors by PSTU in two significant polls.

Amanda Gurgel, the teacher who has become famous after the video in which she denounces the chaos in the Education became viral on the Web, was the most voted councilor in the history of Natal, with over 32,600 votes, almost 9% of the valid votes. Something such as 24 thousand votes ahead of Rafael Motta (PP) who has come in second. Just to have an idea, the most voted city councilor before her had had 14,000 votes. The voting on Amanda guarantees another two seats for the Broad Left Front (PSOL and PSTU).

“I am proud of being a PSTU member, a teacher and a woman”

Filled with emotion, Amanda Gurgel thanked the votes, yet reinforcing that, much more important than a term will it be the mobilization and the struggle.“All the fellows here, from the oldest to the youngest, know that our place is in the struggle, we always made a point on it, to make it clear, we never said ‘vote for Amanda Gurgel and she will pave your street’, all the 33 thousand people who voted for us have a duty to build this term”.

About this historic victory, Amanda acknowledged that her personal characteristics were important, but stated that “it would not be possible if my party was not a socialist party, a revolutionary party”. The councilor elected with most votes in Natal history made a stirring speech about her experience with PSTU. “I saw in the first strike I attended, those who really and in fact were building the struggles, who was on the workers’ side, who was carrying the flag, and this party was PSTU.”

In the speech she made to the militants and to the candidacy’s supporters, Amanda reiterated, ripping tears from all who were listening to her personally and from those who were following the celebration via Internet throughout the country: “I am very proud of being a member of PSTU, of being a teacher, of being a woman and I am very proud to say that this is a victory for all of us”.

The powerful bourgeoisie is trembling! Cleber Rabelo, a civil construction worker, was elected Councilor!

The election of the first civil construction worker elected to the City Council of Belém touched lots of people on this Sunday night.

With 4,691 votes, Cleber Rabelo, a civil construction worker, was the third best voted in the coalition PSOL / PSTU. The worker got to the headquarters of PSTU in Belém carried by hundreds of workers, party’s militants and activists of the campaign. “The commemoration was such a success that the group shut down Almirante Barroso St., where PSTU headquarters is located and one of the city’s main roads” said William Mota, from the party leadership.

Cleber thanked his election to those who have dedicated most of their lives to a campaign funded by the working class and not by employers. “I am grateful to the workers who voted for me. This is not a victory of mine, but a victory of all workers of Belém, especially of the Civil Construction workers. This term will be a supporting point not only for Belém workers’ struggles but for all Brazilian workers”, he said, quite moved.

Cleber also highlights that his term will be built with political and financial independence from employers. “My term will not be an “office-term”, an “in-house” term. Our term will be performed “in loco”, on the spot, at the construction sites, in the districts where Belém’s workers live”.

The Councilor-worker also guaranteed that there will be no privilege in his term and said what will be his first measure in the City Council. “The first project that we will introduce in the House will be precisely a project which aims to reduce the wages and end up with the perks of politicians, we will also carry out a project to audit the accounts of the Municipality,” he explains. He also added: “This is an important step towards the working people’s struggle, but it is also an opportunity to show how to build a real socialist term”.

The victory has been celebrated not only in the two capitals, but throughout the country. Two militants campaigns without money from companies or contractors, without paid canvassers and without disparaging a socialist program with the objective of building a city for the workers.

Significant Victories

Besides Natal and Belém, PSTU, in these elections, also had significant votes in other states, such as Vera Lucia in Aracaju (Sergipe’s capital), with 6.68% of the valid votes, or 20,241 votes ahead of candidates of bourgeois parties like PV and PPS.

In Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais’ capital), Vanessa Portugal shut the voting in fourth place with 1.5%, nearly 20 thousand votes. This is a significant result if we take into account the enormous pressure by the “useful vote” in the PT candidate, and especially the fact that Vanessa was boycotted in all TV debates. During the campaign, the candidate came to reach 3% in the polls.

In the countryside of São Paulo, the PSTU mayor candidate in Campinas, Silvia Ferraro, raised 2.16% of the valid votes, or 11,115 votes. Toninho, Councilor candidate in São José dos Campos, ended the election as one of the most voted in the city. Toninho ended the poll in fifth place, with more than 6 thousand votes, just not being elected due to the electoral coefficient[1]. In Macapá (Amapá’s capital) the Mayor candidate Genival Cruz, had 3.16% (6451 votes).

[1] Electoral coefficient: the way in which the computation to fulfill the parliamentary seats in Brazil is made.

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